Summary
TheJurassic Worldfranchise squandered one of its best ideas, and the series has never recovered. With the release ofJurassic Worldin 2015, theJurassic ParkIP was reinvigorated by seeing John Hammond’s dream of a dinosaur theme park come to fruition. The movie became a global sensation, proving that there was still rabid interest in the Jurassic brand.
Sequels followed, withJurassic World: Fallen KingdomandJurassic World Dominion, each of which tackled unique story ideas, but failed to impress critics. However, with the recent release ofJurassic World Rebirth, the franchise seems content to entirely backtrack on one of their best ideas. With the latest film, the series is leaning into unsatisfying creative territory, rehashing ideas rather than embracing the bold new direction it could go.
TheJurassic WorldFranchise Is A Box Office Juggernaut
It’s hard to argue with the box office success of theJurassic Worldfranchise.While Steven Spielberg’sJurassic Parkis a beloved classic, the franchise was dormant for over a decade whenJurassic Worldentered the marketat the perfect time, capitalizing on the gap between films and the nostalgia that has since enveloped the original. The movie impressed, earning over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It thrilled audiences with something that many fans had wanted to see since they were kids, and allowed them t share it with their own families. Sequels followed, which missed when it came to reviews, but still managed to clear the impressive $1 billion mark in theaters.
72%
$1,671,537,444
47%
$1,310,469,037
29%
$1,001,978,080
51%
$649,780,990 (Still in theaters, not final)
Jurassic World Rebirthhas already impressed with its box office returns after only a few weeks in theaters and stiff summer competition from hits likeSuperman. Even with the mixed reviews of the last several installments, with oftenoutright hatred ofDominionandFallen Kingdom, the films saw financial success.
Arguably, each film has seen diminishing returns. However,the movies are still clearing $1 billion, combined with merchandising.Rebirthis due to hit VOD in early August thanks to a crowded box office, meaning its revenue stream could take a drastic hit. But even if it doesn’t meet the lofty heights of its predecessors, another installment is assured.
The Franchise Backtracked One Of Its Best Ideas
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdomhad a mighty job to accomplish on the heels of one of the most successful movies of all time: introducing new ideas and attempting to repeat prior elements that worked. The story missed with ideas like Maisie being a clone and showing how the technologydeveloped for the dinosaurswas adapted for humans. It was bold, but didn’t connect with audiences, much like their attempt to recreate the success of the Indominus Rex with the Indoraptor. However,Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdomtook one big swing and set the franchise up for the most exciting stakes yet.
Much ofJurassic World: Fallen Kingdomis dedicated to removing dinosaurs from the islandwhere the park once thrived, as a volcanic eruption is about to decimate it. The movie shows some of these dinosaurs being sold off and seemingly shipped off around the world, butthe movie’s boldest move comes at the end, when the dinosaurs are set free on the mainland.This leaves audiences teased with a world that will now see dinosaurs and humans forced to find a way to coexist, creating new struggles and endless story potential.
Jurassic World Dominioneven teased audienceswith the prospect of a world with dinosaurs freely roaming. Viewers saw a T. rex rampaging through a drive-in theater, dinosaurs chasing Chris Pratt on a motorcycle through city streets, and even a black market trade surrounding the animals. There was even a short film released prior toDominion’stheatrical release called “Battle at Big Rock,” which was all about human and dinosaur conflict erupting during a leisurely camping trip.
However, the movie glanced over these things, proving that all their epic teases were quick moments at best. The film’s plot focused on corporate greed and mutant locusts rather than dinosaurs versus humans. Rather than capitalize onFallen Kingdom’ssetup, allowing the stakes to fuel the story,Dominionchose to push it to the background, giving the franchise its worst reviews yet.
Jurassic World RebirthHighlights The Franchise’s Struggle For New Ideas
Jurassic World Rebirthfully buries the idea of dinosaurs running rampant.The sequel posits a world where dinosaurs have died off, except in a narrow area around the equator. This one story beat severely restricts thereach of dinosaurs on Earth, which feels like the franchise is doing everything in its power to kill the idea and dial it back to giving audiences the same things they have seen before. The story inRebirthuses a convoluted MaGuffin to get the characters back to the confines of an island, showing them on a journey that barely matters beyond a reason to put them next to dinosaurs.
Jurassic World Rebirthmay have thrilling sequences, but it offers one of the most bland stories the franchise has ever told.It attempts to give audiences the island terror ofJurassic Park,but fails to seethe potential of what dinosaurson the mainland could have been. Rather than leaning into stories that would have put everyday people up against unforeseen forces of nature,Rebirthputs the final nail in the coffin. It continues to garner the lackluster reviews that have plagued the last few films by playing it safe, refusing to take a risk with theJurassic WorldIP.
